Unclaimed bling goes on state auction block

Or how about a sterling silver charm bracelet? Wouldn't that be a nice holiday gift for that special someone? Or yourself?

Maybe even two ladies' diamond rings for one price. Who says a girl can't have more than one best friend?

Don't worry. It's all legit. Those trinkets and others are being auctioned for sale on the state treasurer's eBay Web site, which can be found by clicking on the eBay logo at www.treasurer.il.gov.

The sparkly stuff comes from safe deposit boxes that were abandoned at financial institutions. After five years, unclaimed items are turned over to the state treasurer's office and locked in a vault in the Capitol while attempts are made to locate the owners.

If that's unsuccessful, the items are auctioned off, and the proceeds are held indefinitely for the owners or heirs.

All in all, 53 pieces of bling are up for grabs on the Web site until Dec. 2. Then another auction will start -- this time for collectibles such as gold coins, stamps, silverware and baseball cards.

Since Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' office started auctioning off unclaimed items on eBay, prices have soared as the goods reached a worldwide marketplace. The average sales price so far this year is 78 percent over the appraised value, compared with 28 percent in 2006, according to the treasurer's office.

"In the first week alone, we counted 34,500 online bidders," Giannoulias said in a written statement, "compared to just 150 at the last live auction."

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